This invention relates generally to a device for shading the interior of a vehicle and is particularly directed to a sun shield which can be easily and securely positioned adjacent to the inner surface of a windshield of a motor vehicle.
Early approaches to limiting sunlight to the interior of a motor vehicle involved the use of a sun screen positioned either outside of or within the vehicle. As used herein, the terms "sun screen", "sunshield" and "sunshade" are considered to be equivalent and to have the same meaning. The exterior sun screen was mounted to the motor vehicle immediately forward of and above the windshield. Interior sun screens were generally of the venetian blind or louvre type disposed adjacent to either the rear or side windows. These latter sun screens could be either opened or closed by pivoting displacement of the individual slats depending upon the sunlight level and whether or not the vehicle was being operated.
More recent vehicular sun screens are intended for use only when the vehicle is not in operation and are positioned over either the back window or, more commonly, the forward windshield of the vehicle. These latter sun screens are not intended to improve the vision of an operator or passenger in bright sunlight, but rather to protect the interior of the vehicle from excessive glare and high temperatures associated with bright sunlight. These more recent sun screens typically include a plurality of generally planar sections coupled together in a folding manner to permit the sun screen to be either folded into a compact structure or unfolded to form a generally flat structure extending substantially over the entire inner surface of the windshield (or back window). An example of this approach is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,202,396 to Levy wherein a plurality of planar rectangular elements joined along their longitudinal edges are adapted for unfolding and positioning across the vehicle's windshield. Support for maintaining the sunshield in position is provided either by the vehicle's sun visors disposed in an extended, lowered position, by the vehicle's rearview mirror, or by the vehicle's steering wheel. In the case of support provided by the rearview mirror, an upper, center portion of the sunshield includes a foldable flap which can be pivotally displaced to permit the sunshield to be positioned above and forward of the rearview mirror and which then can be repositioned in the plane of the sunshield so as to engage the rearview mirror and maintain the sunshield in position in closely spaced, parallel relation to the windshield. In this approach, the rectangular shape of the individual sunshield sections limits the conformance of the sunshield to the curved, upwardly tapered shape of the windshield and results in uncovered portions of the windshield and exposure of the vehicle's interior to rays of sunlight. In addition, the folding flap arrangement affords only limited engagement with the rearview mirror resulting in unstable positioning of the sunshield. Moreover, in some cases particularly where the rearview mirror is mounted directly to the windshield as in most current installations, this approach does not afford any contact of the sunshield with the rearview mirror and thus provides no support for the sunshield.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned limitations of the prior art by providing a sun screen for a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle, a boat, etc., which is adapted for secure, closely spaced positioning to the vehicle's windshield by engaging a rearview mirror support member disposed adjacent thereto. The sun screen is inexpensive, easily positioned and removed from adjacent to the vehicle's windshield, and is securely maintained in position once installed.